


Daddy's Home

by punkniallisbestniall (ChelsaOfBakerStreet)



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Boss!Niall, Boss/Employee Relationship, CEO!Niall, Christmas Party, Daddy Kink, F/M, Fluff, M/M, New Year's Kiss, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-30
Updated: 2018-02-03
Packaged: 2018-11-21 08:55:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 20,005
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11354100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChelsaOfBakerStreet/pseuds/punkniallisbestniall
Summary: Niall Horan, CEO of Highgate International, is a ruthless businessman and a tough man to work for. When Chelsea is hired on as the new administrative assistant, she's ready to handle anything Niall throws at her.Until the day she accidentally calls him Daddy, that is. What follows is a lot of late night meetings and locked office doors.





	1. Meeting the Boss

Chelsea walked into the office, looking around. She clutched her notebook to her chest, pushing her nervousness down. She glanced around the cubicle farm and made her way to the back of the room where a cherry oak desk sat, a plump brunette sitting behind it.

Chelsea walked up, adjusting her glasses on her nose before placing her notebook down, leaning over the desk, smiling.

"How may I help you?" the brunette asked, looking up at Chelsea.

Chelsea brushed her ginger hair to the side, shifting on her feet. "Chelsea Conway. I have an interview with a Mister Horan at one."

The girl typed on her computer. "Ah, so you're the new secretary. I'm Melissa; I'll be training you to take my spot. You can take a seat; Mister Horan is currently in a meeting. He'll be with you shortly."

Chelsea nodded but instead of taking the proffered seat she glanced around before lowering her voice. "What can you tell me about Mister Horan?'

Melissa flicked her eyes up, sighing heavily. "Look, I'm not going to lie, he can really be an asshole at times, but he's a good boss, fair. Just watch out on days he's mad. He's really got a temper."

Chelsea nodded and thanked Melissa for the tip, taking the chair nearest the reception desk. Chelsea smoothed a hand over her binder, wondering what the interview was for. She had already been hired by the agency and would start her training tomorrow at eight am. Perhaps Mister Horan merely wanted to meet his new assistant before Chelsea was settled in.

Chelsea looked up quickly as the door to the office opened and a guy walked out, calling something Chelsea couldn't quite hear.

"That's Harry," Melissa sighed dreamily, resting her chin on her hand. "Too bad he's married."

Chelsea ran her eyes over the man and had to agree that it really was a shame the man wasn't single. She stood as Melissa told her she could go in. Chelsea took a deep breath and walked towards the door, entering the office.

The first thing she noticed was the view. The back two walls were nothing but window space and afforded an unblocked view of the city. "You must be Miss Conway."

The voice was softer than Chelsea expected and she certainly didn't know the man was Irish, but his accent definitely gave him away. She turned to see Mister Horan standing from his desk, smoothing his suit down before holding out his hand.

Chelsea shook his hand firmly, taking a seat across from him and crossed her ankles. "Mister Horan, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"Niall, please," he stated and Chelsea took a moment to take him in. He was much younger than expected. His brunet hair was just barely blonde at the tips and his blue eyes sparkled when he smiled.

Chelsea gave a small nod of her head. "Niall, thank you for extending the offer of employment."

He held a hand up. "It was mostly Melissa, but your resume was very impressive."

Chelsea had studied at NYU in both journalism and business, maintaining a 4.0 GPA the entire time.   
"Thank you, sir."

She fidgeted nervously as something flashed in his eyes and she suddenly felt like Niall was a very dangerous man.

"Melissa filled me in that you start training tomorrow, is that correct?"

"Yes sir," Chelsea replied and there was that look once again.

"Perfect. I expect that you will be on time daily. Your duties will include, but are not limited to; fielding my phone calls, making appointments, checking emails, setting flight dates, travelling with me as necessary, dealing with PR, and any other thing I may need."

"Yes, that was outlined to me after I was called for the pre-job interview."

Niall leaned back, tapping his fingers on the arm of his chair. "Good. I'll see you in the morning, Miss Conway."

Chelsea stood, smiling brightly, "please, call me Chelsea."


	2. Day One

The Next Day

Chelsea walked out of the elevator, humming as she carried two cups of coffee in her right hand. She made her way to the desk, smiling brightly as she placed the tray on the desk, taking the chair next to Melissa's. She was a little early, but that was habitual from always being late to things because of her mother.

"Good morning!" Melissa greeted as she walked up and smiled even brighter when Chelsea handed her a cup of coffee. "You're very sweet," Melissa exclaimed, taking her chair. "Today should be a good day. I know Mister Horan has quite a few things scheduled so you'll be able to see what exactly your role will be." Melissa paused, checking her watch. "He won't be in until nine, so we have about thirty minutes to get you trained up on some of your duties. The first thing I do is log into the computer, and you should have received my email with your credentials?"

Chelsea nodded, pulling the sheet out of her leather binder. "Yes, I have it here with me."

"Great," Melissa acknowledged, rolling her chair back so Chelsea could scoot over. "I'll let you go ahead and log on so we can get everything set up."

Chelsea trundled over to the computer and deftly put in her username and password, bringing up the home screen.

"Of course you can personalize everything in your free time, so we're going to skip that part. Go ahead and click on the icon that says 'daily manager'," Melissa instructed, pointing at the screen.

Chelsea double-clicked the icon and it opened a program that was basically a larger form of a calendar PDA application. She listened as Melissa went through the steps of how to add, edit, or delete meetings. There was a color coded system for what type of meeting and who was attending. The program would also log important dates so that flights and other transportation could be arranged, along with tele- and video-conferences,

Chelsea had used a similar system at her last job so she easily learned her way around the program, checking to see how many meetings were scheduled for the day.

"So before I log in, I usually go into his office and make sure everything is ready to go and I start the coffeepot so that there's a fresh cup waiting for him to arrive," Melissa explained, standing and motioned for Chelsea to follow her.

Chelsea walked into the office and took a look around, everything was neat and meticulous. She listened as Melissa ran her through the steps on how to make the coffee and what she should keep refilled. There was creamer in the minifrigdge that was put out daily, along with making sure the sugar was kept stocked.

As they exited, she turned the lights back off and Melissa continued the training. Chelsea was to print out all important emails and documents and have them in a folder, ready for when Mister Horan arrived in the morning. Chelsea clicked through the different pages under Melissa's instruction and printed everything that had come in for the day.

By the time Mister Horan arrived at nine, Chelsea had easily gotten the swing of things and was deftly typing email responses with some help from Melissa.

"Good morning Melissa. Chelsea."

Chelsea looked up and smiled. "Good morning, Mister Horan."

"Niall, remember?"

Chelsea nodded and grabbed the folder as Melissa greeted the man. "Here are your files for the day, Mis- Niall. I'll update it whenever something new comes in."

Niall smiled, taking the proffered folder. "Thank you, Melissa is training you well."

Chelsea nodded as he walked off and glanced over to see Melissa flushing slightly. The girl must have a crush on her boss; Chelsea thought to herself and laughed at the idea of ever falling for someone as pompous as a CEO.

Chelsea listened as Melissa explained her duties for meetings. Chelsea was to make sure all copies of reports were made and that glasses and a pitcher of water were available and refreshed between each meeting.

Chelsea paid rapt attention and found herself feeling more and more easy with the job as the morning went on.

Chelsea glanced up as someone stopped by the desk. She took in the Navy suit and the sleek black hair pulled back into a short ponytail. "Zayn Malik here to meet with Niall Horan."

Chelsea pulled up the calendar and checked to see that Mister Malik was three minutes early for his ten o'clock and marked him off. Chelsea stood, smiling brightly. "If you'll wait just a moment, Mister Horan will be right with you." She excused herself and walked over to grab two glasses and set them to the side as she filled an infuser with lemon slices and added ice and water to the pitcher, dropping the infuser in. She walked the items over to Niall's office and juggled them around to knock on his door.

"Come in."

Chelsea pushed the door open and carried the glasses and pitcher to the small side table. "A Mister Zayn Malik is here to see you sir."

Niall nodded, not looking up from his paperwork. "Send him in."

Chelsea glided out of the office, smiling at Zayn. "Mister Horan will see you now," She told him, holding the door open so he could walk in.

Melissa smiled, telling Chelsea that she knew Chelsea would do great. Chelsea preened at the praise and settled back down behind the desk.

"There's a conference in New York coming up that you'll be attending with him. If you could change the names on the tickets, you'll be set. Both rooms at the hotel are under his name. He will always request for you to be next door to him in case he needs something done any time of day or night. Always have a bottle of Jameson waiting in the room."

Chelsea jotted everything down as Melissa spoke.

"You're in charge of making sure his suits are pressed. If you don't have anything appropriate for dinner parties and galas, get on that. Mister Horan expects you to be at every one to make sure all connections are made."

Suddenly Chelsea felt the first bit of nerves hit her. She'd always hated fancy dinners and hadn't known that attendance at some of the most high profile parties across the states was part of her job. She knew she would just suck it up as always because if she wanted to progress in this company, she'd have to be in top form all the time. "I have a dress, but I'll make sure to get more."

Melissa nodded. "I'm not sure there's much more to tell you. You seem to understand how to work the system. Most of the clients are easy, you'll just field their calls to Mister Horan and be done with it, or take a message when need be. He rarely takes sick days and frowns upon those that do." Melissa stopped for a moment, pondering whether there was anything else she needed to explain. She smiled and squeezed Chelsea's shoulder reassuringly. "You'll do great, I can tell it. With that, I'm off. If you need anything my cell number is in the electronic rolodex."

Chelsea nodded and thanked her for all the help and encouragement with a promise to get a drink sometime and let Melissa know how things were holding up. As she watched Melissa walk out, she couldn't help but to glance at the closed door of the office across from her and wonder exactly what she had gotten herself into.

She checked the calendar for the next meeting and saw that a Mister Louis Tomlinson was coming in for a meeting at eleven. Lunch was at twelve so she would order and pick up Niall's food during the meeting so that it would be ready for him in plenty of time. She'd never had to do lunch runs before and was thankful Melissa had left a cheat sheet of all of Niall's favorite restaurants and dishes. She smiled as she saw Nando's at the top of the list because that was one of her favorite places to eat as well and she knew that she and her boss would get along just fine.

Chelsea opened a few emails, copying the information from some for the file, forwarding others to Niall as time went on. Mister Malik left at ten fifteen and Chelsea busied herself with collecting the used glasses and water pitcher. She had just picked up the pitcher when Niall spoke. "Miss Conway, Chelsea, how are things going?"

Chelsea turned, smiling brightly. "Well enough that Melissa left about thirty minutes ago. She seemed to think she had taught me everything I needed to know."

Niall folded his hands under his chin, staring her down. His tongue darted out to wet his lips and Chelsea started to feel uncomfortable waiting for him to continue the conversation or dismiss her. "Well, if she thought you can handle it then it was her decision. Did she alert you to the conference?"

"Yes sir, I already changed the tickets, everything is set. A car will pick you up at seven am. I'll be there to make sure everything runs as smoothly as usual."

Niall raised an eyebrow, impressed. "Very well, I won't continue to check up on you, I'll just expect excellence continuously."

Chelsea blinked as he dismissed her with a wave of his hand and she scurried to the kitchenette, placing the used glasses in the small dishwasher before refilling the pitcher and putting it in the small refrigerator to chill.

At five minutes to eleven Chelsea glanced up to be greeted by a shorter man with blue eyes and a kind smile. "Louis Tomlinson, here for the eleven o'clock."

Chelsea smiled, clicking on his name. "Good morning sir, let me check with Mister Horan and I'll be right with you."

Louis snorted a soft laugh. "Don't hurry on my account love, Niall and I go way back. Just tell him Lou is here, yeah?"

Chelsea nodded and ducked her head as she made her way to the office, opening the door gently. "Niall, Lou is here for your eleven o'clock."

Chelsea was startled by the smile that spread across Niall's face and she wondered if this was a business meeting or two old friends sitting down for a chat. "Please, tell him to come in and stop bothering my assistant."

Chelsea smiled, laughing to herself as she grabbed two new glasses and the pitcher of water, putting them on the table and passed Louis as he entered, grinning cheekily.

Chelsea rolled her eyes and sat back at her desk, pushing her glasses up on her nose. She called in an order for herself and Niall and leaned back, rubbing her face. It had been nonstop since she had gotten there which was good because it meant the time was flying by, but she was still nervous. Her last job had been for a dentist's office while she was at NYU and it was nowhere near the fast pace of Highgate. She hoped to one day work her way up to editor of their publication, but she would take starting this close to the CEO.

Never in a million years would she have imagined Niall to be as close to her age and she wondered if he was one of the owner's children. Highgate had efficiently managed to keep Niall out of the limelight somehow so there weren't a lot of articles with pictures out there of him. Melissa must have stayed on top of it constantly and Chelsea suddenly felt the weight of her responsibility fall heavily on her shoulders.

Chelsea grabbed her purse, shoving the company credit card into her wallet as she headed towards the elevator. She pressed the button for the lobby, sticking her hand in the door as a girl in red heels sprinted towards it.

"Thanks," the girl huffed, fixing her hair.

"No problem," Chelsea smiled. "What floor?"

"Twenty-seven."

Chelsea nodded and pressed the button, shifting her purse on her shoulder. "What department are you in?"

"Design. I'm the assistant to the assistant director of design." The girl held her hand out to shake. "Kelsea Styles. And you are?"

Chelsea took the proffered hand, squeezing gently. "Chelsea Conway, assistant to Niall Horan."

Kelsea blinked rapidly, looking Chelsea from head to toe. "You're the new assistant for bossman?"

Chelsea nodded, pushing her hair over her shoulder.

Kelsea smirked, waving her hand lightly. "You'll see my husband a lot. He's one of the financial assistants. Harry Styles."

"Oh, yeah, Melissa pointed him out this morning. He seems nice."

Kelsea laughed, running a hand through her marron-tinged hair. "He is. He and Niall are pretty good friends. They work on a lot of projects together."

Chelsea nodded as the doors opened. "Well, hopefully I'll see you around."

Kelsea stood so the doors would stay open. "Yeah, I'll visit your desk when I head back up. See ya."

Chelsea grinned as the doors slid shut and she was back on her way down to the lobby. She strode out of the elevator, her heels clicking against the marble tiles and she hailed a cab, sliding in. She gave the driver the address and was soon off to her destination.

\-----

"I see you got a new assistant," Louis rambled, sipping from the glass of water the redhead had brought in.

Niall laughed, leaning back in his chair. "See you were flirting with 'er already."

Louis rolled his eyes, sitting the glass back down. "Like ya haven't already thought of it."

Niall pursed his lips, shifting a paper on his desk. "You know I'm against inter-office romances."

Louis sat up straighter. "You let Harry marry that Kelsea girl. They work in corresponding departments."

"Fashion and design are not the same department though."

Louis shook his head. "Whatever, the new girl is still quite a bit different from the last one."

Niall sipped his coffee, rubbing his chin where he could feel the stubble growing in and he knew he needed to shave. "Doesn't matter as long as she does her job. Her resume was impressive and Melissa really thought a lot of her."

Louis smirked, standing up. "I've gotta go Nialler, but remember I'm the one you told about that desk thing."

Niall turned red, cutting his eyes at Louis. "And I'm regretting every bit of that decision."

Louis shrugged, running a hand through his hair. "Still coming over for dinner? Liam is coming in for the weekend; we should all hang out like old times, before you went and got a stuffy suit and a boring job."

"It pays the bills," Niall shrugged. "Plus, you know why I took this job. But yeah, I'll be there. Just text me the time."

Louis nodded and opened the door, almost getting hit in the face by Chelsea's curled hand.

"Oh, you're still here," she stuttered, lowering her hand.

Louis waggled his eyebrows, enjoying how she blushed. "Just leaving love, see ya around."

Chelsea nodded, peeking around the doorframe to see Niall staring at Louis with an exasperated look. "Niall, I have lunch."

"Perfect, bring it in."

Chelsea walked forward and placed the bag on the desk where he had cleaned it off. "Melissa left me a sheet of places you enjoyed. I hope you don't mind I went for Nando's, I really like their food."

Niall laughed, undoing his tie some as he pulled the food out. "Don' mind at'all."

Chelsea noticed that it seemed like his Irish accent was thicker and she wondered what he and Mister Tomlinson had been speaking about. "Good. I'll take my meal and if you need me, I'll be at my desk."

Niall glanced up as she grabbed her box and plastic fork. "You can stay if you'd like."

Chelsea smiled, pausing. "Thanks, but I really want to spend some more time with the system before we leave on Monday."

"Understood. I'll see you later Chelsea."

\-----------

At ten to five Chelsea had printed out everything she could for the next day. She had set up the car for the trip and had all of the paperwork ready for the flight so she could check up on the charity they would be attending the event for. She had shoved all of her stuff in her binder when a voice spoke behind her, startling her from her thoughts. "I'm sorry, what?"

Niall was chuckling softly as he leaned against the desk. "I said I will see ya tomorrow, Chelsea. Have a good evening."

"You too, Niall," she smiled, picking up the last few things she needed. By the time she glanced back she just could see him as the doors slid closed and maybe it was her imagination, but it seemed like Niall had been staring straight at her.


	3. New York City

Monday found Chelsea scrambling out of her apartment and into the car waiting for her at ten minutes to seven. She stowed her suitcase in the trunk and asked the driver to head out to Mister Horan's penthouse.

Niall was waiting at the curb and Chelsea climbed out, putting his suitcase in the back. She slid back in and handed him a cup of coffee as the car slid back into traffic.

Niall took the cup, pleasantly surprised Chelsea had thought to brew coffee for him. "Good morning Chelsea," he smiled.

"Good morning Niall." Chelsea patted her leather binder. "Everything we need is right here. Are you checking your valise?"

Niall nodded. "Yes. I have my briefcase to carry on."

Chelsea nodded. "Good, we're all set then."

Niall was impressed at how well Chelsea was doing. "Perfect." Niall leaned back, sipping the coffee; just a splash of cream and a dash of sugar enhanced the strong brew. He noticed that Chelsea was sipping from her own cup and wondered how she took hers. The real test of Chelsea's strength at her job would be the gala they were attending the next evening. As per his request, front facing photos of him were not allowed and any profile photos must be done at an angle. Melissa had handled it well. She was always available but not clinging to him which was how he preferred his assistants to be. Niall glanced over as Chelsea switched her long legs around and wondered how a dating rumour would affect his stocks.

Every once and a while there was some publicity stunt he had to go along with to get Highgate back in the news and the elusive CEO having a girlfriend just might do the trick. He'd pitch it to the board and include a picture of Miss Conway for proof that she was a good candidate. Niall smirked to himself as he drank more of his coffee, watching Chelsea type away on her PDA, probably fielding mundane e-mails he was glad he didn't have to answer.

Niall looked out the window as they pulled up at the airport, smiling softly as Chelsea opened the door. Niall stepped out after his assistant slid out.

Chelsea opened the boot and grabbed the suitcases, smiling as one of the attendants ran over to help her. She tipped him as he rolled their luggage to the desk and Chelsea scanned their tickets in the quick kiosk, handing the checked bags over to be weighed and tagged.

She looked behind her to make sure Niall was following her before she made her way to their terminal. She placed her two carry-ons in a seat, turning to Niall. "Would you please watch this, I'll be right back?"

"Of course," Niall replied and Chelsea made her way to the bathroom. She had never worn heels in an airport before and felt slightly ridiculous as they made a soft noise as she walked across the tile, stepping in a stall to use the loo.

Chelsea took her seat next to Niall and checked to make sure she had her notebook and laptop with her. She would work on some things for the trip while they were on the plane and needed everything to jot down notes.

Chelsea stood; handing Niall his ticket as the attendant called for first class to board and Chelsea walked to the queue, making sure Niall was keeping up. She handed her ticket over for it to be scanned and made her way down the ramp to her seat, 3A. Chelsea stowed her unnecessary carry-on before sitting in the window seat, putting her laptop bag and purse under the seat.

Niall put his briefcase in the overhead bin before sitting down next to Chelsea. She seemed at ease and he was glad he didn't have to worry about her having a fear of flying.

Chelsea put the window shade up so she could see out and would miss the warm city of Los Angeles. She had checked the weather for New York City to see it would be in the mid-fifties the whole time they were there and she had packed her jackets and coat for the trip.

Soon enough they were in the air and Chelsea had connected to the in-flight WiFi so she could keep up with work. Niall was sipping a whiskey on the rocks while she nursed a plastic cup of ginger ale.

"Chelsea?"

Niall's voice pulled Chelsea from the email she was reading and she looked over at him. "Hm?"

"You've been rather quiet." Niall sipped his drink, watching as she set her mobile down.

"Just keeping up with work," she replied, rubbing her eye gently.

Niall drummed his fingers on his tray. "You know I don't bite, right?"

Chelsea looked at him quizzically.

"You just seem very shy around me. Melissa and I had developed a rapport with each other."

Chelsea gave him a soft smile. "Just getting used to everything, Niall. I'll probably be a chatty cathy with you by the time we get back to LA."

Niall nodded as Chelsea picked her PDA back up and started swiftly typing on it once again.

\----

Chelsea stood by where their tram was supposed to pick them up and huffed because it was five minutes late and she was pretty sure it wasn't coming. Chelsea saw an opportunity present itself and she walked briskly over to an elderly couple shuffling through the airport. She told them if they would wait just a minute she would get a tram for the four of them. Chelsea sauntered over to a security officer and told them they needed a tram for the couple and he radioed it in.

Chelsea thanked him and led Niall over to where the couple stood and not two minutes later they were all boarding the tram and were on their way to the front.

The car Chelsea had called was idling at the curb and the driver stowed their luggage, Chelsea and Niall getting in the back.

\-------

Chelsea walked briskly into the hotel, giving Horan as the name for the reservation. She glanced over to see Niall standing near the lifts, holding his briefcase. Chelsea tapped her fingers on the counter, her acrylic nails making a soft clicking noise. She smiled as the desk clerk handed her two room keys and told her the numbers. Chelsea thanked the woman and headed towards Niall and the lifts.

"The rooms are ready and they'll be right up with our suitcases."

Niall nodded and followed Chelsea into the lift and she pressed the button for their floor.

"You've done well so far. Quick thinking at the airport."

"Thank you," She hummed, looking at the doors. "It's all part of the job."

Niall glanced over at her as the doors opened, catching sight of her cheeks flushed from his compliment. She was a bit more reserved than Melissa but he thought things might change slightly once she got to know him better.

Chelsea paused in front of his room and handed over his key. "We have dinner reservations at seven; the car will pick us up at six thirty. Tonight we'll be dining with Fred Ancher, senior partner of Statham Global."

"Thank you, Chelsea. If I need anything I'll call for you."

Chelsea nodded and headed into her own room, setting her bags on the bed. She unpacked her laptop and set it up, connecting to the hotel WiFi to make sure she didn't miss anything.

She laid her evening attire out; glad it was just dinner and not a gala. She had brought grey trousers and a navy blue shirt with her favorite silver heels to wear. Chelsea headed towards the shower. It was the first thing she always did upon arriving at her hotel after a long flight.

She showered and dried her hair before getting dressed, pulling her makeup bag out because she wanted to be put together for the evening.

Chelsea walked over to where the phone was ringing, trying to get her earring in properly. She picked up the receiver and cradled it between her ear and shoulder. "Hello?"

"Miss Conway, I need your assistance."

Chelsea rolled her eyes because what the hell could Niall need right now? "I'll be right there Niall."

"Thank you Chelsea."

Chelsea heard the tell-tale click of the receiver being put up before she could even utter a 'you're welcome' and part of her really wanted to strangle her boss. She finished buttoning her blouse and grabbed her keycard, walking out of the room. She knocked on the door and waited.

Niall opened the door, standing there barefooted and in only his grey chinos. Chelsea fought to blink rapidly at the sight of her boss half-naked because holy hell she had no idea there was so much muscle underneath all of those stuffy suits and damn what else was he hiding in there because fuck.

Chelsea forced her impertinent thoughts down and plastered a smile on her face. "What do you need?"

Niall pulled her into the door and closed it. "This shirt has wrinkles." He held it up and Chelsea honestly had to squint to even barely see what he was talking about.

"It was pressed perfectly when I picked it up."

"Are you saying I did it?" He asked, his voice seeping with vitriol.

Chelsea felt like she was dealing with a small child. "No, sir. Merely that something must have happened during transit. If it makes you feel any better, your suit jacket will hide it."

Niall glanced down and pulled the shirt on, not caring that his assistant was standing there watching him dress. "I hope you're right."

"I'd never leave you astray," Chelsea replied, the false smile making another appearance. Honestly she wanted to take his tie and strangle him with it at the moment because if he didn't get his damn shirt on in the next ten minutes they were going to be late to the car.

Chelsea tapped her foot impatiently as Niall buttoned the shirt up, tucking it into his trousers and tying his tie before sliding his jacket on. Chelsea absentmindedly fixed his collar for him, surprised when he uttered a soft thanks. He turned to see that Chelsea had been right about his shirt and he sent her back to her room to finish getting ready.

Chelsea grabbed her furl shawl and silver clutch, closing her door as she went into the hall to meet Niall. She had to admit he looked nice in his charcoal grey suit, his hair in its usual quiff.

"Ready?" she queried and he merely nodded.

Chelsea led him out to the car and waited for him to get in before she slid in, leaning back. Her PDA was on silent and she would only check it in case of an emergency. This dinner was important and she would have to pay close attention in case Niall asked her about something later on.

Chelsea checked her clutch to make sure the tape recorder was still in there. Melissa had given her the tip to carry one in case Niall needed to be reminded of something he or the other party said and Chelsea had thought it a good idea.

Melissa had explained that most of the time, other than polite pleasantries, she would be silent. Niall was the only one whose assistant attended business dinners, but it was because of the enigma surrounding him.

"Ready for this?" Niall asked nonchalantly, glancing over at Chelsea and he had to admit that navy looked really nice on her.

Chelsea looked up, nodding. "I believe so." She leaned forward, fixing the lapel pin Niall had put on and he glanced down to where her fingers were plucking a piece of lint from his jacket. Chelsea sat back as they made their way through the crowded New York City streets.

\-------

They pulled up in front of the London Hotel and Chelsea led Niall into the lobby and over to Gordon Ramsay's, giving the name Ancher and soon they were being led through the room to the private dining section.

Chelsea and Niall were the first to arrive and Chelsea settled on a glass of Prosecco and water while Niall ordered a Stella from tap.

Chelsea stuck her recorder under one leg, keeping it accessible for when the dinner meeting began. She had placed her napkin in her lap and glanced over to see Niall watching her in the dim light.

Niall tilted his head slightly and noticed the sparkle of her earring as she brushed her hair over her shoulder. People seemed to assume that everyone from Ireland was red-haired and pale skinned, but Niall could count on his fingers how many friends he had had growing up that were ginger. He laughed to himself at how if he and Miss Conway were side by side how most would choose her over him as to who was actually Irish and he wondered if she had any Irish blood in her.

Niall stood as Mister Ancher arrived and he shook hands, introducing Chelsea who graciously extended her hand to which Ancher kissed before sitting.

Chelsea smiled and took a sip of her water, leaning back to make herself appear smaller, something her petite frame helped with.

"Mister Ancher, a pleasure to meet with you," Niall greeted, taking his seat once again.

"Fred, please," the man replied, sitting as well, ordering a glass of Merlot.

Chelsea shifted slowly, pressing the record button and busied herself with doing nothing but listening and keeping quiet.

The meal went by peacefully and Chelsea kept up with the conversation easily. Fred was selling part of the business, his failing design department, to Niall. Highgate's design department was one of the best in the states and Chelsea wondered how much Kelsea had helped with bringing it into top form. A cool twenty million dollars would make Statham Global richer and Highgate International the leading producer of design information and producers.

Chelsea smiled as Niall turned the meeting over to her and she pulled out her PDA, discussing a time for Niall to come over and sign the necessary paperwork. Chelsea scheduled a one o'clock meeting for Tuesday, thanking Ancher for dinner.

As they got back to the hotel, Niall paused outside his room, catching Chelsea's attention. She turned to him, holding her room key in her hand. "I just wanted to let you know you did really well tonight, Chelsea. I think this is going to work out."

Chelsea smiled at the praise. "Thank you Niall. I had a good evening. I'll write up a small brief on the meeting and send it to you so we can include it with the other things to be sent before the board."

"Perfect. Have a good evening, Miss Conway."

Chelsea laughed softly at the use of her family name. "You too, Mister Horan." Chelsea unlocked her door, heading in and glanced at her bed, wondering what time she would actually get to bed that evening. She sat at the desk, making sure the curtain was open so the city lights would spill into the room as she worked. This job was going to be great.


	4. Gala

Niall stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his grey tie that matched his checked navy suit. He had always been partial to Paul Smith and often wore the man's designs. He had deliberated on whether to wear a white shirt or a coloured one and had even thought to call Chelsea over to ask her but he knew she was busy getting ready for the gala as well.

Niall tucked his slim-line wallet into the pocket of his trousers and fixed his hair one last time. He had showered and shaved before dressing, applying a splash of aftershave so it would dry and not stain the collar of his button down. He left the top two buttons undone, the cut of his suit showing off his Adam's apple and a small bit of skin. He checked the Bulova watch on his wrist and found he had about three minutes before he was to meet Chelsea at her room, but he decided to walk over anyway.

Niall knocked on Chelsea's door, hearing her call out "one moment." The door swung open and he had to admit he found himself slightly breathless at the sight of her. She had curled her hair and it fell in loose ringlets around her shoulders. She was wearing a full length emerald colored dress, one shoulder slipped down. The color enhanced her ginger hair and pale skin, her hazel eyes almost green as she looked him over. "Mister Horan, you look nice."

Niall ignored the use of his last name because her lips were red and her eyelashes were brushing along her cheeks because she had taken off her glasses and he assumed she was wearing contacts. Niall moved as she exited the room, a small silver clutch in her hand. Niall finally remembered she had spoken and cleared his throat. "Thank you, Chelsea. You look lovely."

Chelsea blushed softly, ducking her head as she turned towards the elevator. "Thank you, sir."

Niall chuckled softly and walked down the hall. "So you know your duties?"

"Of course. Mingle, introduce people of importance, and most importantly, keep people from snapping clear photos of you."

"Very good." Niall stepped into the lift, Chelsea following and soon they were on the way to the lobby where a limo was waiting for them.

Niall climbed in first, averting his eyes as Chelsea slid in across from him before the driver closed the door. With Chelsea exiting the limo first at the gala it would shield him from cameras and he would use her to hide his face.

Niall glanced over to see her watching out the window, the lights of the city glimmering in his eyes. He had to admit she was a beautiful woman and whomever she dated must be lucky indeed. Niall had found it easier not to date. Between the ones only in it for his money and the long hours he often kept, leading to women getting tired of trying or ending up in other men's beds, he'd put it all off for the time being.

Niall smiled as they arrived at Gotham Hall, the event venue and he readied himself for the onslaught of cameras. He turned his head to see Chelsea holding tightly to her clutch as she surveyed the crowd, noting the positions of all of the paparazzi. "Ready, Niall?"

Niall nodded, rubbing a hand on his thigh as the driver opened the door and Niall turned his head from the camera flashes as Chelsea gracefully slipped out of the car, pausing as he used the plume of her dress to cover him as he ducked out of the car, taking her arm, pressing his face against her neck.

Chelsea shivered slightly as his breath ghosted across her neck and chalked it up to not having been with a man in a long time. She stepped forward, keeping Niall close as they walked into the building. Once they crossed the threshold, Niall pulled away slightly. "You're out of range, plus Liam Payne, the famous DJ just showed up. Chelsea did a quick sweep of the room to make sure there were no video cameras or photographers in the area, turning to see that Niall had been cornered by some guy in a suit. She moved closer slowly so she could hear the conversation.

"Lost another assistant, I see," the man rumbled, staring Niall down and Chelsea felt herself flush.

"No, the last one went to a different department. Chelsea was highly qualified. I don't see how this has anything to do with you though," Niall snapped.

The other man laughed and Chelsea didn't need to be a mind reader to tell that it was getting to Niall. She wandered over, taking Niall's arm gently. "Oh, there you are, Mister Horan, our table is just over here and I'd really like you to meet Brad Pitt."

Niall looked down, smiling as Chelsea cut in. "Perfect, thank you Miss Conway." Niall glanced back up at the man in front of him. "Simon, I'll see you around."

Niall turned his attention back to Chelsea and allowed her to take them over to their table where he was surprised to find Brad Pitt really was standing there. Niall lowered his head to whisper in Chelsea's ear. "And here I thought you had just made it up to save my arse."

Chelsea feigned a look of hurt. "Me? Never."

Niall chuckled softly as Chelsea politely introduced Niall to Brad and she slipped away to find someone with a drink tray. She selected two glasses of champagne off a passing waiter's tray, handing one off to Niall as he spoke before she went to survey the room. There were people from all sorts of businesses. Singers, actors, CEO's, entrepreneurs. Two tables over from Niall's there were place settings for Adam Levine, Bill Gates, and James McAvoy alone. She enjoyed that they put people in a mixture, not everyone from the same business together. It was a wonderful strategy that allowed people to comingle their ideas before and after the presentation.

Niall turned as he felt a hand land on his shoulder and he grinned, seeing Liam standing there. "When Louis said you were coming for dinner I didn't think I'd see you here first."

Liam grinned, hugging Niall tightly. "Didn't know if you'd make it out. I know how the board is with you and cameras. Where's Melissa?"

Niall smirked. "She moved up to fashion. I've got a new one. She's working."

Liam rolled his eyes. "You're awful to make these girls dress up and attend these parties and still have to work."

"Mate, if you call drinking champagne and talking to celebrities work, then oh, poor them." Niall rolled his eyes. "What table are you at?"

Liam took a seat. "This one actually. Thought you had set it up."

Niall shook his head, taking the seat next to Liam. "Not me."

Chelsea looked over to see Niall talking to the Liam Payne and she smiled, wondering why the hell she was even needed here. She glided over, wanting to meet the DJ and smiled softly down as she slid her hand to Niall's shoulder. "I brought champagne."

Niall looked up, the candlelight reflecting in his blue eyes, the light dancing across his face and Chelsea really had to resist the urge to kiss him and reminded herself that this was strictly business and not a date. "Chelsea, I want you to meet one of my best mates, Liam Payne."

Chelsea extended a hand and she and Liam shook politely. "Nice to meet you, Liam. I listen to you at work actually, huge fan."

Liam smiled up at her. "Well that's nice to hear. It's lovely to meet you, Chelsea. I hope Niall isn't working you too hard."

Chelsea sat in her chair on the right side of Niall and leaned up to talk to Liam. "No, it's been rather fun actually."

Niall waved a hand as if to say 'see?' and Chelsea wondered what their earlier conversation had been about.

"Good, good."

\-------------

Niall leaned back in the limo as it took them back to the hotel. "Chelsea?" he tried to catch her attention from where she was scrolling on her phone.

"Hm?" she glanced up, setting her mobile in her lap.

"You did really well tonight. Thank you for being so gracious."

Chelsea was surprised at his words. "It was nothing, Niall. I really enjoyed myself tonight. Thank you for having faith in me to do the job."

Niall laughed softly. "You forget I saw you almost take out that pap. It was rather impressive."

Chelsea blushed because she had been so close to decking the man for heckling her boss. "I was only doing my job."

Niall grinned, "Still, thanks."

"You're welcome." Chelsea picked her mobile back up, making sure there had been no surreptitious photos of Niall, checking all major news sources along with gossip sites and well-read blogs. So far there had been nothing and Chelsea hadn't had to send any threatening emails. Niall had thanked her for all of her hard work, but Chelsea felt like she was thriving. This type of work was what she had wanted, not some stuffy cubicle.

They exited the limo and walked side by side into the hotel and Chelsea thought it was nice that Niall didn't just leave her behind like she was some overpaid lackey, but as if she were his equal.

Niall pressed the button for the elevator and noticed as they were standing there that Chelsea was wearing emerald earrings and he wondered if they had been a gift from a boyfriend. He realized that it was really none of his business if and who Chelsea dated as long as it wasn't someone who worked directly for him.

Chelsea walked into the elevator and pressed the button for their floor and waited for the doors to close before she pulled off the heels she had been wearing, sighing deeply. "That's so much better."

Niall looked over and they both started laughing. Chelsea leaned against the wall, catching her breath "I'm pretty sure walking in these is a form of torture, but I love them."

Niall shook his head. "The things people do for fashion."

"Says the man in Paul Smith," Chelsea quipped, one eyebrow arcing.

Niall held his hands up in mock surrender. "Alright, you caught me."

Chelsea grinned cheekily, gathering her dress in her hand as the doors opened and she glided down the hallway. She paused when Niall called her name and she turned to see him standing half in his doorway. "Yes?"

"I had a good time tonight. I'll see you in the morning."

"Bright eyed and bushy tailed," Chelsea sing-songed and Niall playfully rolled his eyes at her. "Goodnight Niall."

"Night Chelsea."


	5. Fraud

Niall waited in the elevator, glancing at the placard on the wall that held his name on the floor he was headed towards. Another day of meetings, paperwork, and phone calls. He had to admit he enjoyed the trips because they afforded him an escape from the mundane office activities.

He'd had a good time in New York. Everything had gone accordingly and he was expecting to see merger papers in the folder Chelsea would have waiting for him when he arrived. He had been surprised to learn that she was single. They had both had a couple of flutes of champagne on the flight to celebrate the smooth sailing of the gala and Niall had toasted to Chelsea's success as the new assistant. The alcohol had loosened Chelsea up a bit and Niall had found out a bit about who she really was.

Niall smiled as the doors opened, walking into the brightly lit corridor. He pushed through the glass door that led to the cubicle farm filled with spacious cubicles for his top level employees. Niall passed by name after name, each one with a title card underneath, until he arrived at Chelsea's desk.

"Good morning Chelsea," he greeted cheerfully, leaning against the reception counter.

Chelsea looked up, her red hair pulled into a ponytail and she had contacts in because her glasses were missing. She leaned down, grabbing his folder which was thicker than usual, a good sign. "Good morning, Niall. The paperwork from Statham is in there, it seems the merger is a go."

"Perfect," Niall hummed, absentmindedly flipping through the pages. "I'll get started on it and fax everything over to you when I'm done."

"If you just page me I can pick it up from your office and scan it here and email it straight through."

Niall brightened. "Yes, that will be perfect. When is my first appointment?"

Chelsea typed quickly on the keyboard, pulling the calendar up. "Your first appointment is at eleven. Your ten o'clock had to reschedule."

Niall nodded, closing the folder. 'Thanks Chelsea, keep me updated if something changes."

"Will do." Her attention shifted from her to her boss as the phone rang and she answered it, cradling the receiver against her shoulder.

Niall tucked the manila folder under his arm and strode to his office, opening the door. He tossed the folder onto his desk before opening the blinds, letting the sunlight filter in. This was the best perk of the job was the view from his office. He could see all of downtown, including the building where his apartment was.

Niall sat behind his desk and began the daunting task of filling out the merger paperwork. He wanted to read the contract personally so that he knew every single word that was included. Niall picked up his phone, pressing the button to connect him to Chelsea's desk.

"Can I help you with something, Niall?" Chelsea's voice came through the phone.

Niall shuffled the papers on his desk. "Did you send a copy of the contract to legal?"

"Yes sir," he could hear her fingers on the keyboard as she spoke. "They said they would email you directly once they go through all of it and that it is currently their top priority."

"Thank you Chelsea. I'll page if I need anything else."

"Of course, sir. I'll be right here."

Niall placed the receiver back on the cradle and tapped his mouse to wake his computer. He started one of his playlists on Spotify and started going through the contract.

Niall lost himself in the complicated legal terms and was surprised when a knock sounded on his door. "Come in," he drawled, not looking up from the papers.

He heard the clinking of glass and glanced up to see Chelsea preparing his office for a meeting. He pushed his glasses up on his nose and glanced at the time, surprised to see it was half past ten already. He had almost completed the paperwork, happy to have learnt that the legal department deemed everything in order and that he was free to complete the merger. "Chelsea, I'll have the paperwork done after lunch, is that okay?"

"Yes, of course." She placed the water pitcher on the tray, limes and a few sprigs of mint in the diffuser. Chelsea smoothed her hands over her trousers, a habit when she was nervous.

Niall nodded and stacked the paper neatly on the edge of the desk, noting that Chelsea had seen that this was a meeting with a few of the board members and brought the appropriate amount of glasses. "Thank you, again, Chelsea. "

Chelsea smiled, closing Niall's door gently as she exited, heading back to her desk. She checked to make sure everything was ready before she pulled out her newest copy of Forbes to catch up on some articles she had missed.

She heard the office quiet and knew the board members had arrived so she stowed her magazine and straightened in her chair. She smiled brightly, adjusting her glasses as they walked over, a nod of the head signaling her to let Niall know they had arrived. She picked up her phone and paged Niall's telling him they had arrived.

Chelsea hung up the phone and gestured to the door. "He'll see you now, gentlemen." She kept the forced smile on until they had shut the door behind them. She leaned back in her ergonomic desk chair and sighed.

"Wonder what they're here for," a voice spoke up, startling Chelsea. She looked up to see the girl from the elevator, Kelsea, standing at her desk.

"No idea," Chelsea replied, taking the envelope Kelsea had and signed off for it, putting it with a few other things to take in to Niall later.

Kelsea smiled as Harry walked over, kissing her cheek. "Normally it's one at a time so he must have called a meeting. Only needs three to make a vote count. 'Course the rest could be teleconferencing." Kelsea talked quickly, tossing ideas out at a hundred miles an hour and even Chelsea was having a hard time keeping up.

Harry laughed. "You always want to know what he's up to."

Kelsea tossed her hands in the air. "Am I the only one that thinks it's weird that one day old man Hinter was CEO and then the next day they're holding a conference naming him as CEO? I mean it's like some Great Gatsby shit or something."

"Well I certainly hope he doesn't end up face down in a pool," Chelsea remarked, earning strange looks from the people in front of her. "You know, like Gatsby?"

Kelsea laughed. "Okay, look Chels, me and a couple of girls go to the bar on twenty-first on Fridays. You're coming with. I'll come up here and show you this time."

"You might as well say yes," Harry said, rolling his eyes. "Or else she won't stop bugging you abou' it."

Kelsea squeezed his arm gently. "It got me you didn't it?"

Normally Chelsea hated couples like that, after having to deal with her single state all through college, but Kelsea and Harry were too nice to want to throw up on. "Alright, drinks with the gals on Friday. See you then."

Kelsea kissed Harry's cheek before fluttering back off to the elevator, waving as the doors closed.

\-----------

Niall sat with his elbows on his desk, hands clasped under his chin. He had just finished presenting his idea of fake-dating his secretary and the seven members were looking at him incredulously. He could even feel the stares of the four teleconferencing through the screen.

"Mister Horan, how does this even make sense?"

Niall leaned back, his boss persona falling into place. This is where he thrived. "As they say, gentlemen, bad publicity is good publicity. In this case, good publicity is really good publicity. Normally the board comes up with some scandal that puts the company into the limelight again and we all know I dislike drama. But in this case, no one has to tell any lies. It'll just be me taking a pretty girl out to dinner, or the opera, movie premiere, whatever. No scandal, just two adults spending time together. And if the media thinks there's something to it, then so be it. This merger is already putting us in the news, but the gossip sites will be reporting on one of the city's richest bachelors getting attached to someone. It's a win-win."

The board talked quietly, most of them seeming to have come over to his side.

"And if you get a proper girlfriend?" Jameson, one of the savvier members asked.

Niall leaned across the desk. "Then I'll figure it out. I think it will work. Plus, it's getting close to the holidays; you know investors will kill to have publicity at galas. Imagine the branding. We'll put her in some of the new fashion line; I can talk to Styles about that."

Grant, the chairman of the board quieted everyone before speaking. "Niall, we trust you with this, don't embarrass us."

Niall smirked. "Of course not. I know you were forced to take me on, but I do have this company's best interests at heart."

The teleconference signed off and the last three board members shook Niall's hand as they left. He smirked to himself. He had them all eating out of his hand.

\--------

Chelsea jumped as her phone rang, Niall's name popping up on the display. "Yes sir?"

"Could you come get the files to fax, please?"

"Right away."

Chelsea strolled into his office and took the proffered folder before turning to leave.

"Chelsea," Niall called out and she paused mid-step. "Sit, please. There's something I want to discuss with you."

Chelsea took the chair across the desk from him and placed the folder in her lap, waiting for him to continue.

Niall smiled softly, placing his hands in his lap. "I need you to be my fake girlfriend."

Chelsea blinked rapidly before blushing as his words registered with her. "Excuse me?" she asked incredulously, her eyebrows shooting up her forehead.

"Honestly it'll just be like when we went to New York except we'll have to attend a few movie premieres, get caught out at dinner, things like that." Niall continued on as if he hadn't heard Chelsea and she stood to catch his attention.

"Niall, this is really inappropriate. Why on earth would anyone believe it? Why me? What does this even do for you?"

Niall waved a hand. "Please sit back down. You're pretty, we're close in age. It seemed you would be the best fit since you already go to dinner parties, galas and the like. It gets Highgate into gossip magazines, celebrity headlines. For some reason people seem to think I'm an eligible celebrity bachelor. Money does that to people. What do entertainment news sources love more than anything? Celebrity romances. It would mean a lot to it if you did this. You'd also start getting a bonus for extra hours worked. Plus, the company account would be opened to purchasing you new clothes. You can't just wear any designer to the premiere of Perfect Alliance, can you?"

Chelsea would never admit to Niall that that last bit was what really sealed the deal to her. She didn't care about the clothes or being semi-famous, but the chance to meet her favorite actress face-to-face at the woman's premiere? Now that was another thing.

Chelsea leaned forward. "I'll accept," she held a hand up to keep him from talking. "On one condition. No kissing, touching inappropriately, things like that. I'm not a toy. Oh, and if I find a boyfriend, I'm calling it off."

"Fair enough," Niall sighed, pleased that she had said yes. "As for you, no tell-all's, even after the 'break up'." Niall made air quotes with his fingers to drive the point that all of it was fabricated.

Chelsea nodded. "Deal." She held her hand out and Niall smiled, shaking it.

Niall let go of her hand wand watched her walk away, waiting until she was at the doorway to call her name. Chelsea turned, clutching the folder to her chest. "Yes?"

"I'll pick you up tomorrow at six for dinner. Wear something nice."

Chelsea nodded and slipped out of his office. All she really wanted to do was hide under her desk until this whole thing had been forgotten, but she had work to do. She comforted herself with the thought of a glass of wine, or honestly, a scotch on the rocks when she got home. The liquor cabinet was going to be unlocked for this. There was no way she'd get by being a fraud with her boss while she was completely sober. Her final thought as she went to fax the paperwork from Statham was that at least Niall had the decency to be attractive.


	6. Chapter 6

Chelsea had prepared herself for the upcoming date by drinking two glasses of wine and watching Fuller House on Netflix until it was time for her to take her shower. She washed with a new triple-milled soap scented like English Rose. She loved standing under the hot water, letting the massaging stream loosen her muscles. The water pressure was one of the few saving graces of the tiny apartment she rented.

She stepped out into the bathroom, her feet touching the cold tiles and she quickly dried off. She worked on blow-drying her hair to make it straighter, if she let it air dry it would inevitably curl and frizz.

Chelsea pulled on a navy blue sheath dress that had two black strips around the waist, enhancing her petite figure. She applied a bronze eyeshadow and jet black mascara, deciding on a nude for her lips. She looked in the mirror, sweeping her hair to the side and pinned it in place with a silver barrette. Satisfied with how she looked, she spritzed on her favorite perfume, Burberry London. She had always gotten a bottle of it at Christmas from her mom and the scent reminded her of being at home.

She checked the small silver watch on her wrist to see that it was about ten minutes until Niall arrived and she would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous. Chelsea headed to her bedroom and slipped on a pair of silver heels, looking herself over in the full-length mirror propped against the wall because she still hadn't hung it properly. It made her look a little funny, the proportions off just the slightest, but she approved of how she looked.

It was a few moments later that a knock came on her door and she was going to have a conversation with Anthony, the front desk clerk, about just buzzing anyone through. She pulled open the door to see Niall standing there, looking nice in a grey suit, a dark red tie knotted perfectly at his throat. "Hi."

Niall smiled, showing his teeth, "hello. Are you ready?"

Chelsea nodded and grabbed her small purse, checking to make sure she had the key to her flat before she walked into the hall, locking the door behind her. She was surprised Niall had made the trek to her door himself, not sending someone to do it for him. Her flat block wasn't in a bad neighborhood by any means, and she paid a pretty penny for the safety, but it certainly wasn't anywhere near what Niall must be used to.

Niall watched as her eyes flickered between him and their surroundings and he wanted to put a hand on her arm to let her know it was okay. "I'm surprised you walk from here to the office, it's quite a few blocks."

"I enjoy the walk, getting fresh air is good for you, you know. But when it's the fall and winter I take a cab or the bus home because it's darker."

Niall nodded, stepping into the elevator after Chelsea and she selected the button for the lobby. He noticed the numbers on the buttons were worn, the brass plating of the doors dinged and scratched. Niall inhaled the woodsy scent of her perfume, just a hint of low amber notes wafting as she brushed her hair from over her shoulder. Niall noticed she was nervously fiddling with a piece of skin on her thumb and he realised she chewed her cuticles. Niall himself often gnawed his fingernails down, a habit he was trying to break.

He wasn't sure exactly what to say because he didn't want to bring attention to her meager home, completely opposite from the opulence he lived in. "I hope you like Italian. I got a reservation at Mama Anelli's."

Mama Anelli's was a place Chelsea had never been, but had definitely heard of. "I love Italian, cannelloni is my favorite."

Niall smiled, his eyes crinkling softly at the corners as he laughed softly. "They make all of their pasta fresh, in-house. I know you'll love it."

Chelsea hadn't had a good, proper meal in a few days, having lived off of ramen and Easy Mac since she was trying to save money. She followed Niall out of the elevator, turning her head to see Anthony watching them as they exited, his eyebrows quirked in a questioning manner.

Niall led her to a parked car, a silver Lotus, and she thanked him as he held the door open for her. It was tempting to run her hand over the interior of the car but she was frightened to, knowing that the cost of this car was more than she earned in a year. The seat was comfortable and she tried to calm her erratically beating heart as Niall slid into the driver's seat. The car started with a low rumble and settled into a soft purr, idling as Niall fastened his seatbelt before shifting it into first gear and they pulled away from the curb.

Soft music played from the speaker and Chelsea recognized DJ Payne on the radio. She smiled softly to herself, wondering how Niall and Liam knew each other so well. The station was doing the top nine at nine and she glanced out the window at the city she had grown to love in the short amount of time she had been here.

"I'm guessing you'd rather discuss the intricacies of all of this in the car before we get there?" Niall asked, pulling Chelsea from her thoughts.

"Mmm, that probably would be best." She shifted slightly, turning to see him better. "I mean, I understand the purpose of it, but I want us to talk about boundaries, things like that."

"Well, you made it pretty clear what you expected when we talked yesterday in my office. But yes. Because at some point you'll have to go home with me." Niall paused, trying not to laugh at the look on her face. "I have a spare bedroom; I swear nothing will happen that you don't want to. But, I do think we'll have to kiss for the cameras."

Chelsea sighed deeply because when she had moved to the city, it was to get away from her hometown and the heartbreak she'd left behind. She wanted a fresh start, hopefully to find someone to settle down with. Not this façade of a relationship that would only keep eligible men away. "Alright, that's fine."

Niall nodded, pulling up to the valet spot in front of the restaurant. Chelsea stepped out, feeling the soft fabric of her dress brushing against her thighs as she slid out of the seat, the valet smiling brightly as he opened the door for her.

Ever the face of politeness and respect, Niall handed the keys over, responding to the valet's "good evening Mister Horan." Niall took it upon himself to be respectful of everyone from other CEOs all the way to valets and janitors. Niall glanced around, noting that a few paparazzi were hanging about, knowing Mama Anelli's was the go-to place for many celebrities. Niall often found it hard to think of himself as a celebrity, but he was tossed around with names like Bill Gates and Donald Trump, businessmen that were worth as much as Niall were deemed celebrity in this neighborhood.

Niall took Chelsea's arm, smiling softly down at her as she placed her hand on his arm as if it belonged there and they shared a secretive smile before entering the restaurant.

The aroma of garlic and other herbs surrounded them in a swirl of mouth-watering scent as they crossed the threshold. A sharp-dressed young man of Italian descent greeted them, his voice holding just the slightest hint of a true Italian accent.

Niall stepped forward, giving his name and Chelsea admired the cut of his suit at his waist, deciding it must have been tailored and probably cost more than her entire wardrobe all together. Niall was attractive and in any other situation she would have almost fallen over herself to know she would be eating dinner with a man like him. Looks, personality, the ability to control a room with just a look, Niall was the entire package. But Chelsea knew there was no way Niall would a) date someone as much of a nobody as her and b) was probably a jerk or completely the wrong type of guy for her. Plus, Chelsea had a "no bosses" policy since that time she dated her manager and had to quit her job when the relationship went south. Things were too messy when jobs were involved, and she fucking needed this job.

Chelsea pushed her thoughts away as Niall gently took her hand, pulling her gently to him as the maître d' lead them to a corner by the window with a view of the water. The sun had almost finished its descent and the sky was tinged with faint lines of pink and red. The water rippled slowly as a breeze touched the surface, swirling leaves around in a gentle whirl of color.

"What do you recommend?" she asked, looking at the menu.

Niall paused, thinking. "You were talking about cannelloni earlier; you should try the spinach and feta."

Chelsea nodded, thinking it would pair well with a white, perhaps something from France, particularly Vouvray, whose wine palettes she enjoyed. "Sounds perfect." She closed the menu and couldn't help but to glance over to find Niall watching her, his hands clasped on the table.

Niall watched her for a moment. She was a little different than the last few secretaries he'd had. He never would have thought about going to dinner with any of them and to be honest he was having a hard time reminding himself that it wasn't a date. Chelsea was a good actress, he'd give her that. He had glanced around the room when they entered to see that though the dining room was full, as most nights and one needed a reservation to get a table, there were relatively few people of mention. Most were upper class couples out for dinner or tourists who had saved up to come dine. This meant that there was a good chance of a paparazzi clinging to him to sell pictures to the magazines and websites.

Niall leaned back after they had ordered, wanting to learn more about Chelsea. "So, what kind of music do you listen to?"

Chelsea glanced up at him, thinking. "I listen to a lot of music, but I'm a classic rock girl. Journey is my favorite band of all time. But, my iPod shuffle can go from Beyoncé to Beethoven, country to screamo."

Niall nodded, smiling softly. "I'm a huge fan of the Eagles and Michael Bublé. I like Picture This too... so basically it's like you said, a little bit of everything."

"I've never heard of Picture This," Chelsea replied.

"When you get a chance, listen to Take My Hand by them. I think you'll like it."

Chelsea jotted it down in her Blackberry, nodding. "Got it. I'm also a fan of musicals. I performed in my theatre department in high school."

"Ever thought about being an actress?"

"I dabbled some in college doing student films, but music was really my passion. But alas, here I am in what my parents call a "real job"," she laughed softly to let Niall know she was okay with where life had taken her.

"Smart and you can sing. You're constantly full of surprises."

"So are you. Definitely wasn't expecting this," she waved her hand around at the restaurant and him, trying to encompass it all.

Niall shifted, rubbing his chin. "You're pretty; you should expect men to fall over you."

Chelsea blinked, trying to figure out if this was part of the act or not. She felt herself blushing, "oh, well thank you."

Niall nodded, pausing the conversation as the waiter arrived with the wine. He watched as Chelsea tasted hers, surprised she had ordered a French wine.

"It tastes just like it did from the winery. It's been a few years since I was there, but I still remember it."

"You've been to France?" Niall asked, unable to hide the surprise from his voice.

Chelsea giggled, setting her glass down. "Yes, I went in high school. French class trip. I was a private school brat; I got to go on all sorts of trips with my school."

"Color me surprised," Niall intoned, sipping his glass of merlot.

Chelsea took another sip of wine before asking what she hoped didn't seem too personal of a question. "You're sort of young to be a CEO, aren't you? Not that you're not good at your job, I just was expecting someone with at least a few grey hairs."

Niall chuckled, sitting his glass down. "Look, I know you'll hear about ten different rumours a day about how I became CEO. The easiest answer is that the man that was CEO wanted to retire. I'm his nephew. He wanted his children to have no part of the business for personal reasons and the next thing I know, I'm learning how to run the place. I worked here before the takeover, though. No one really knew me because I worked in financial, but I know it was a surprise when I was named CEO. It pissed off a lot of the board members, but Mister Hinton had the majority vote me in, so here I am."

Chelsea placed her hands in her lap as he spoke. "Well, that's cleared up then," she laughed softly. "I heard that it was some sort of Great Gatsby mystery. It's just one of those, my rich uncle wanted to piss off his whole family and the board at once things."

Niall tilted his head back as he laughed, drawing a few stares from the people around them as Chelsea covered her mouth, laughing. "You know, basically, ya."

They quieted as the food arrived and the next few minutes were filled with silence as they dug into their meals.

"How is it?" Niall questioned, pointing at Chelsea's cannelloni with his fork.

Chelsea slid her plate over slightly, "try it."

Niall took a small forkful and ate it, humming. "It's delicious."

The next thing Chelsea knew, Niall was holding his fork up, spaghetti twirled on the end of it and he was commanding her to open her mouth. She leaned across the table, parting her lips and allowed him to place the food into her mouth. She closed her eyes as she chewed, enjoying the sweet hint of tomato in the sauce, a perfect blend of spices creating a wonderful flavor combination. "Wow, that sauce is spectacular."

"They've been using the same recipe for the past sixty years, they say."

"I can see why." Chelsea dabbed her napkin at the corner of her mouth where some sauce had smeared on it.

\---

Niall couldn't help but to notice the way the moonlight caught on her skin, turning it almost porcelain. Her eyelashes were mere shadows as they brushed against her cheeks and he found himself entranced as they waited for the valet to bring the car around.

Niall stepped forward and opened the door for her, shivering slightly as her hand brushed gently against his arm. He closed the door after she was in, shaking his head to clear the impertinent thoughts trying to invade. He needed to remember this was all for the company, not for him to take a beautiful woman out and romance her. This was his secretary, his damn good secretary, and he wouldn't lose her because he couldn't keep it in his trousers.

Niall drove to her apartment building, the ride rather silent as if they had spoken their fill at dinner. The air in the car seemed thicker, like a film of static electricity had enveloped the car and Niall had to stop himself from taking her hand. This business of faking it was going to be harder than he thought.

As he parked outside of her building he wondered if he should walk her to her door, or if that would seem too forward. He watched as her hand lingered on the handle and slowly she turned to face him. "Thank you for dinner, it was really lovely, even if it's all fake." She gave a soft laugh, her eyes looking out the windshield but her face was still tilted in his direction. Niall felt himself leaning in before he could stop himself and he kissed her lightly on the lips, their mouths meeting almost awkwardly. He was surprised when she kissed him back, a hand on his cheek, when he had been expected to push him away.

Chelsea stopped the kiss abruptly, opening the door and climbed out of the car. She bent to see him, stumbling over her words. "Thanks again for dinner, I, uh, I'll see you at work on Monday."

She shut the door before Niall could respond and he sat there slightly stunned and watched as she scurried to the safety of her flat, glancing back once to see his car still idling in the car park.


	7. Daddy

Niall felt uncertainty surge through him as he walked into the doors of 500 Empire Boulevard. The massive skyscraper housed the offices of Highgate International and plenty of other smaller businesses. Normally, seeing his name emblazoned on the plaque beside the lifts would give him the much needed ego boost to get him through the day. Today, instead of the self-esteem encouragement, he received a sense of dread curled in the pit of his stomach. He was hoping that Chelsea would brush the kiss off as him merely getting caught up in the moment and that she had put it past her, though he couldn't say the same himself. He'd tossed and turned all night, unable to sleep from the phantom feel of her lips pressed against his. Every cliché had come to mind, sparks flying, fireworks, all of it seemed to fit how he had felt with her mouth against his.

Niall ran a shaky hand through his hair as he leaned against the wall of the lift and pushed the thoughts away. Miss Conway was not going to become a distraction. A kiss was a kiss and the façade of the relationship would continue on as planned. He wouldn't lose the good publicity because he'd snogged his assistant in the car.

Niall held his head high as he walked off the elevator and took sure, steady steps to where Chelsea sat, typing away already on her computer. She had been prompt to work so far and had not had any issues, cementing the fact that she had been the perfect girl to replace Melissa.

"Good morning Chelsea," Niall hummed, forcing himself to look at her directly.

Chelsea smiled brightly up at him, handing the day's folder over. Their eyes met and Niall caught himself from swallowing thickly at how brown they looked today. "Morning Niall. Everything is in the folder as usual. There are no meetings scheduled for today. Anything in particular you'd like for lunch today?"

Knowing 'you' was not the proper answer to her question, Niall ran through a list of restaurants in his head. "You know the deli two streets over?"

Chelsea nodded, "Tom's. They have the best pastrami on rye."

She had stolen the words right out of Niall's mouth. "Agreed. I'll take one of those for lunch."

"Of course sir." Chelsea was calm and collected which put Niall at ease and he grabbed the folder, turning to head to his office.

"See you at lunch, Chels."

Chelsea nodded and went back to her computer, pulling up some files she needed to email to the finance department. She waited until she head Niall's retreating footsteps before glancing over to see the set of her boss's shoulders. He had seemed nonchalant over the whole affair and Chelsea thought that perhaps it really had meant nothing to him. She pushed her glasses back up on her nose and went back to work. She wasn't going to lose focus over one kiss, even though it had been one hell of a kiss.

\-------

Niall looked up as Chelsea opened the door, peeping her head in. "Lunch is here."

Niall gestured to the desk as he finished his phone call, hanging the receiver back on the cradle. "Chelsea, I thought you might want to sit in here for lunch. We could talk about the symphony I wanted to take you to."

Chelsea sat the bag of food on a clear space of his desk and pulled the chair closer to the desk. She sat, tucking her feet under the chair. "What will they be performing?" She opened the bag and handed him his sandwich along with a napkin and bag of chips.

Niall grabbed the bag of crisps and sandwich, setting them down before he picked up a brochure. "They're doing a selection of what they call "well-known" pieces. They have Spring from the Four Seasons and Canon in D as their two main draws."

Chelsea unwrapped her sandwich and took a bite, savoring the flavours of the pastrami and dressing. "I like both of those pieces; perhaps they'll do the 1812 Overture."

"You enjoy classical music?"

"Very much so." Chelsea dabbed a spot of dressing from her lip with a napkin.

Niall followed her movements with his eyes, glad they both seemed to have put the incident of the evening before behind them. Niall wasn't sure what she had done, but she looked different somehow, perhaps her hairstyle had been changed or she had new glasses, Niall just wasn't quite sure. "Perfect. The symphony is tomorrow night. I will pick you up at five. Do you have something to wear?"

Chelsea cut her eyes at Niall because he assumed that she couldn't dress herself well. "I have items that will suffice."

Niall paused, thinking before pulling out his wallet, selecting a card from the fold. He handed it across the desk. "I want you to get a new dress. Something you can wear to galas as well. Make sure it's designer. I have a friend downtown that can help you out. He'll put it on the card for you."

"Niall, I can't do that. I would feel terrible." Chelsea stared at her sandwich, not wanting to spend the company's money on a terribly expensive dress.

"You can, and you will." Niall pressed the card into her hand. "Now, I expect to see a new charge on it. I want you to look your best, missy." Niall playfully teased her.

Chelsea tucked the card into her pocket. "Whatever you say, Daddy." As soon as the words were out of her mouth she wanted to melt into the carpet. "Oh my god Mister Horan I totally didn't mean that, it totally slipped out, I was just joking."

Niall barely registered her ramblings because he was trying very hard to not focus on her words. All of the blood in his body seemed to be rushing to his cock and her comment along with the memory of kissing her was making it really hard for him not to grab her and shove her over his desk to show her exactly what 'daddy' could do. He swallowed thickly before choking out his words. "Miss Conway, Chelsea, it's alright. I understand you meant it as a joke. Quite alright."

Chelsea stood, clearing the remains of her lunch and used her leg to put the chair back in its place. She was certain her face was bright red and she was mentally reprimanding herself for saying anything at all. Before Niall could speak again she scurried from the room, dropping her trash in the receptacle at the end of her desk. She flopped into her desk chair and squeezed her eyes shut, placing her face in her hands.

Niall blinked rapidly as the door to his office swung closed slowly. Had that really happened? Had Chelsea actually just called him Daddy? He had a moment of thought where he wondered if Louis had put her up to it, but the way she had reacted to the realization of saying it put that thought to rest. There was no way she could have known about his kinks. Apparently he and his assistant had more in common than their drive to be successful. He hoped it wouldn't be as awkward as he was imagining it was going to be when he left the office. He had just gotten Chelsea to agree to all of this and suddenly they both were overstepping their boundaries and Niall was fearful that there would be no turning back from it.

\-----

Chelsea glanced up as she heard Niall's office door swing open. She had just put her coat on so she scooped up her paperwork and purse, scurrying towards the elevator before Niall walked out. She had just stepped on when she heard his voice call out, "hold the lift, please."

She sighed and turned around; pressing the Door Open button until Niall had stridden though the doors. She pressed the Lobby button and stared intently at the closed inner doors.

Niall watched her in the reflection of the brass-plated doors. She seemed uncomfortable and Niall didn't want her to be put off by the whole thing. "Chels, I really wasn't upset by earlier. Things should continue as if it never happened."

Chelsea tilted her head slightly to meet his eyes, "alright. Thank you. I'll go out and get a dress tonight for the symphony."

Niall smiled; glad she was able to change the subject smoothly. Then again, she was paid to do things like that at work, so Niall expected nothing less from a woman who had done her job as well as Chelsea had so far. "Perfect. I don't have any meetings after three, correct?"

Chelsea shook her head. "Last one is at three."

"We'll both take off when it's over then. Give you time to get ready."

Chelsea turned, shifting her purse on her arm, inhaling the sandalwood and musk scent of his cologne. "Will that be okay?"

Niall let out a laugh. "I'm CEO. You work directly under me." Niall tried not to frown at his choice of words and hoped that Chelsea couldn't tell that he was thinking of her underneath him, spread out on his desk.

"Right, silly me. I'll head home tomorrow once I finish up all of the paperwork."

Niall nodded, stepping out of the lift as the doors dinged open. "Great. See ya tomorrow, Chels."

"Have a good evening, Niall."

Chelsea made a left on the sidewalk as Niall crossed the street to the parking lot. Chelsea checked her watch and hurried faster, hoping to change into something a bit more comfortable before she went back out to go dress shopping.

\------

Niall leaned back in the wing-backed chair in his home office, a glass of Jameson on the desk next to him. The only noises were the sound of his hand rubbing against the stubble on his jaw and the soft clink of the ice shifting in the glass. Small beads of condensation had gathered on the outside of the glass and clung to his fingers after each sip.

He was hoping the whiskey would help him forget the images of the afternoon, but instead it seemed to only enliven his mind to picture Chelsea in his office, in his bed, in his damn car. He was playing with fire which could only end with one of them getting burned. Perhaps it would be best to keep his distance from her at work. Keep the relationship completely professional. No more lunches in his office, wait for a different lift. Anything to keep him from acting on the primal urges that seemed to be taking over his normally well-behaved self.

\------

Chelsea stood in front of the mirror, staring at the price tag of the dress she was wearing. She'd received a text from Niall while she had been riding in the cab to the store. He wanted her to buy what she liked and not worry about the price. He'd sent another text shortly thereafter to tell her to buy outerwear and an accessory or two as well. She rolled her eyes but texted him back to let him know she was on her way to Yves Saint Laurent.

Now Chelsea turned in the mirror, admiring how she looked in the sleeveless black wool dress. The attendant had treated her coldly at first until Chelsea had name-dropped Niall and suddenly the attendant, Brittany, was falling over herself to help Chelsea. Chelsea asked the girl for help with the zipper and stepped out of the dress before pulling her jeans and shirt back on. She handed the dress over to the attendant and told her she needed to look for a few more items.

She breathed a sigh of relief as the girl scurried away and Chelsea soon had a short officer's cape and leopard print scarf in her hand. She felt guilty when Brittany told her the total but she handed the company card over, signing the receipt. Niall had told her to get all of it. Maybe she could work overtime to pay the company back for the items.

Chelsea carefully carried the items out and hailed a cab. She just wanted to go home and sleep. It had been a really long day.


	8. Symphonies

Chelsea pulled the coat over her shoulders, admiring how it didn’t take away from the beauty of the dress beneath it. The air outside was unseasonably cool and she was thankful for Niall’s foresight in requesting she purchase some form of outerwear.

She slipped her feet into the heels that she hoped Niall wouldn’t be able to tell came from a department store. A final glance in the mirror sent her on her way to the lobby of her apartment building at a quarter to five. Niall had told her they would go to dinner before the symphony which started at seven. He had necessitated him driving them and Chelsea thought it wise not to argue with him. His fleet of vehicles made her Malibu look like a rust bucket in comparison.

She saw a sleek silver Lotus pull up in front of the door and said a quick goodbye to the office manager before slipping through the doors. She was sure she was the talk of the tenants because Van had no filter and loved to gossip about all of the people in the building.

Chelsea opened the door, smiling as the soft sound of strings greeted her from the interior of the car. She stepped in, making sure her dress was free of the door before closing it gently. The inside was warm and comfortable, the air permeated by the amber and aquatic notes of the cologne Niall was wearing.

“Hello Miss Conway.” Niall turned and Chelsea was surprised to see a pair of glasses framing his electric blue eyes.

“Niall, good evening.” She took his use of her surname as politeness instead of discourtesy.

His eyes crinkled at the corners as his lips turned up on the ends. He shifted into low gear as they set off towards somewhere only Niall knew.

\---

Niall helped Chelsea out of the car, taking her arm as they followed signs towards the front of the concert hall.

Dinner had been a pleasant affair at a classy restaurant. They had discussed upcoming plans for their individual days off and a few meetings that Niall had the next week. Chelsea was surprised at how easily they avoided any and all talk about her “Daddy” slip-up from the other day.

An usher led them to a roped off box section. He unclipped the brass end of the velvet rope to allow Niall and Chelsea access to their seats before busting off to help the next attendees. Niall moved aside to give Chelsea access to the seats first, following her into the middle two seats of the four grouped together.

Niall sat in the plush chair next to Chelsea. The burgundy velvet lining and brass stands of the theatre seats were a remnant of the original theatre built in the mid 1920’s. They were kept shined and maintained, adding lustre to the rest of the vaudeville look of the building. His arm brushed Chelsea’s and they both turned to look at each other, laughing it off. For some odd reason, Niall suddenly felt as if he was back on his very first date, all nerves and sweaty palms. Which was absolutely ridiculous, seeing as this was all a sham.

He couldn’t deny the unrelenting ache in his chest that showed up whenever Chelsea would play with her hair while lost in thought, or how she laughed at even the worst of his bad jokes, her eyes twinkling with mirth.

The dimming of the lights signaling the beginning of the symphony pulled Niall from his impertinent thoughts of the woman sitting next to him.

\----

Chelsea leaned close to Niall, turning to whisper in his ear as the lights came up for intermission. “They’ve played quite the diverse selection.”

Niall tilted his head in her direction, ignoring how close their mouths were and vainly trying to not think about the kiss they had shared in his car. “This is definitely one of the better symphonies I’ve been ta’.”

Chelsea’s breath caught in her throat as his stormy blue eyes locked onto her. She couldn’t help but to follow his tongue as it ran across his bottom lip, wetting it.

Niall murmured something that Chelsea couldn’t quite catch as he pulled away, opting instead to take Chelsea’s hand in his own.

Her fingers tingled at the contact of his skin on hers. His larger palm engulfed her own petite one, but his fingers easily slipped between hers. She gave his hand a soft squeeze of reassurance that she didn’t mind and was almost certain she saw the smallest hint of a smile ghost across his lips.

All conversations died as the lights went back down and the conductor stepped out onto the stage to begin the second half of the performance.

\---

Chelsea watched the lights of the city stream by as Niall drove. Both of them seemed content to spend the ride in amicable silence. The symphony had been wonderful, both of them having expressed how much they had enjoyed it. Niall had let his hand rest in Chelsea’s for the remainder of the performance, only letting go as she slipped her arm through his to exit the venue.

Chelsea watches as they passed sidewalks lined with pedestrians, shops with windows decorated in an attempt to lure tourists in to purchase their wares. She had come to a shocking conclusion as Niall drove her home. Sometime during the night, she realized she had started to develop an attachment of sorts to her boss. She hated how cliché she had become. She was angry with herself for falling so easily over the one man that would never see her as anything other than a means to achieve his end. She was nobody. She had no money. She only attended these galas because of him, only wore these clothes because he paid for them. Suddenly the car seemed too small, pressing in around Chelsea as she forced herself not to break out in tears.

Niall was having his own internal monologue, oblivious to the panic attack Chelsea was fighting to stave off. He couldn’t stop thinking about kissing Chelsea, about what it had felt like to have her lips pressed against his own. His brain continued to derail over her calling him Daddy and it took sheer force of will to keep driving her home and not take her back to his flat and fuck her senseless.

He knew it would be brash and imprudent to do such a thing. Plus, Chelsea had made it quite clear that she was against anything physical involving him other than chaste kisses.

Niall dared a glance over at her and frowned as he saw her neck and cheek tinged with red. “Chels, are you alright?”

Niall’s voice broke Chelsea from her reverie and she turned, nodding. “Yeah, why?”

Niall saw the reflection of the lights in her hazel eyes and was suddenly caught off-guard by the vulnerable beauty he’d never noticed before. “You’re awful quiet,” he rasped, looking back at the road lest they end up in an automobile collision.

“Just thinking,” came the soft reply from the passenger side of the car and Niall found himself reaching out to grasp her hand in the dark interior of the car.

Just that one touch seemed so intimate that Chelsea wanted to cry right then and there. She had moved out here for a fresh start and a good job, not to get in some idiotic romantic entanglement with her boss.

Yet, instead of pushing his hand away as she should have, she found herself clinging to the warmth of his palm.

Niall chewed his bottom lip, forcing himself to remain focused on the road until he had safely put the car into park in front of her flat building. He had to almost wrench his hand away to use it on the gear shift, not wanting to relinquish his grip on her petite hand.

Neither of them moved, barely daring to breathe, not wanting to break the palpable tension in the car. Chelsea wondered if Niall could hear the staccato beating of her heart and she swallowed thickly, the sound seemingly amplified in the confines of the Lotus.

Niall found himself unable to control his instincts any longer and as Chelsea turned to him, obviously about to speak, Niall cut off whatever words she had been about to say with a searing kiss.

Chelsea didn’t fight it, not this time because she wanted, god how she wanted this kiss. Her hand found its way to the nape of his neck, fingers sinking into the silky hair at the base of his head.

Niall leaned in closer, pulling at her bottom lip gently with his teeth, cupping her face with his hand as she moaned softly against his mouth. Niall took that as an invitation to kiss along her jaw, Chelsea tilting her head back, tugging gently in his hair.

Niall moved back to her mouth, kissing her hard, almost hard enough to bruise, but if Chelsea minded she didn’t make it known.

Chelsea surprised them both by slightly parting her lips. Niall brushed his tongue along her soft lips, the taste of champagne still lingering there. It spurred him on, his tongue gently invading her mouth as they tangled their tongues together.

Niall felt Chelsea’s hand leave a hot trail up his chest as she moved to grip his shoulder, neither of them wanting to stop just yet. He tilted his head, sucking on her tongue, noting how it made her move almost imperceptibly closer to him.

They pulled away, panting, eyes wild as they realized what had happened, boundaries and walls between them snapping back into place.

Chelsea ran a shaky hand through her hair, unable to properly form a sentence that would explain how she had suddenly thrown her inhibitions to the wind.

Niall cleared his throat, the loud noise causing Chelsea to jump and then chuckle at herself. “Um, see ya tomorra’?” Niall asked breathlessly, his accent pronounced in the quiet of the car.

Glad to have an excuse to leave the tension-filled interior of the car, Chelsea nodded, grasping her purse tightly in her hand. “Of course. I had a good evening.” The words felt hollow, seeing as what had just transpired between them and she yearned to say something witty to diffuse the situation, but nothing came to her.

Niall climbed out and rounded the car, opening the door for her. He glanced towards the doors and almost laughed as he saw the office manager that Chelsea often complained about staring intently. Niall held out a hand to help her out of the car and they both pretended to ignore the trembling in their hands as they touched.

Niall only had one thought as he drove away, glancing in his rearview mirror as he did, he was starting to play with fire and someone would end up getting burnt.


	9. Desk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I-I apologize for not one thing. Smut explosion. Hope you guys survive.

Chelsea pushed her glasses up onto the bridge of her nose as she typed. It had not been a good morning for her at all. Anthony had persisted in his questions about “the man in the fancy car” until Chelsea had finally told him that it was all for work and there was no love interest in her life. Seemingly satisfied by her answer, and somewhat saddened by the lack of new gossip in the building, Anthony returned to his book and Chelsea was free to escape into the sunny day. Upon entering the coffee shop closest to the office building, she encountered the corner of a dastardly metal chair that sent a run down her tights which she promptly removed in the restroom before heading into work. She was out of breath and only had ten minutes before Niall sauntered in, there was a pile of folders on her desk, and Harry was asking her about some receipt she was supposed to have received two days ago.

So certainly, the day had to get better, right? At least that’s what Chelsea was praying. 

Niall walked in at his usual time, stopping by to check on Chelsea. It had been three days since the concert and they both had been so tied up in work that he’d barely spoken to her, much less figured out how to continue their ruse. He had tried in vain to put their most recent encounter out of his mind though it had left him with sleepless nights and one too many scotch on the rocks. 

“Good morning, Miss Conway.” Niall had made it his mission to make things less personal between them at the office so that perhaps their little fling would be easier on them both. 

Chelsea glanced up, her glasses not doing quite the job of hiding her tired eyes that Chelsea really wanted them to. “Good morning, Niall.” She managed a meager smile and turned to grab another folder from the stack. “If you see Harry within the next three hours, please tell him I found the receipt.”

Niall nodded, watching as she rubbed her eyes, taking a swig of water from the bottle she kept filled next to her desk. “I will. Is everything on schedule?”

Chelsea paused her typing, bringing up the daily calendar before she scanned it over. “Everything looks good. It will be a quiet day, just two meetings on the books.”

“Thank you, Miss Conway.”

Chelsea was entirely too tuckered out to care about what Niall was saying at the moment and she reached for the energy drink she was starting to rely on. The merger had everyone on edge, especially the financial and design departments, and as Niall’s secretary, Chelsea fielded all emails, bills, questions, and allowances before they even reached Niall’s desk or inbox. She heard the soft ding that alerted her that a new email had been received and she opened it to see that Lindsey had sent over some legal documents Niall needed to sign. Chelsea smiled at the P.S. attached at the bottom, Lindsey inviting her over on Saturday for wine and a sappy movie. She and the woman from the legal team had met during a briefing and had become fast friends. They shared the same taste in music, the same fondness for white wine, and the ability to put ten hours of work in three. Chelsea had had to blow her off for her and Niall’s jaunt to the concert, and Lindsey was sure to ask Chelsea about what man Chelsea now had in her life.

Almost as if he could tell she was thinking about him, Niall’s light on her phone started blinking, accompanied by the shrill ringing of the phone. Chelsea grabbed the receiver, lodging it between her neck and chin as she printed out the legal papers and shot a quick reply to Lindsey. “Yes Mr. Horan?”

“Miss Conway, I was hoping you hadn’t decided on lunch yet, and that we might step out together to that café on 102nd.” Chelsea rolled her eyes, knowing Niall had no way of seeing the action.

“Of course, Mister Horan. Your first meeting is at ten and then the second one isn’t until two fifteen.” She hadn’t even given the calendar a cursory glance, already having committed the day to memory.

“Perfect, thank you.” Niall hung up his end before Chelsea could even reply and his action made her angry. She was a part of this little ruse and she should be respected, not tossed about like a rag doll. Of course, ever since the beginning Niall did things that ended up seemingly rude and she wondered if perhaps that was just part of his personality. 

-

Lunch went swimmingly, almost as if Niall had just wanted to get out of the office instead of continuing their little charade. There was no hand holding, no lovey dovey faces, in fact Chelsea felt that Niall seemed distant, cold even. She wondered if something at work was bothering him, if the merger wasn’t going as well as everything seemed. 

“Niall, are you all right?”

Her words pulled Niall from his thoughts and he felt bad about ignoring Chelsea through the meal. He had been the one to request the out of office lunch. He had mainly done it because he needed a break, but also because Chelsea seemed to be running herself ragged. She was the first person in every morning, and often the last person to leave at night. He thought she deserved a break from sitting behind her desk. “Yes, quite well, thanks. And you?”

Chelsea studied him for a moment, noting he had chewed his nails and his eyes were puffy and she felt that perhaps her snide remarks to herself were unwarranted. “Doing fine, thank you. I’ll be spending Saturday evening with Lindsey from legal. She and I have a date with sappy movies and a bottle or two of Pinot Grigio.”

Niall smiled, something he felt as if he hadn’t done for the past few days. “You ladies deserve it, you two work hard.”

Although Chelsea didn’t need his opinion to validate her work ethic, it was nice to know Niall had noticed her performance. 

-

“Miss Conway, I need your assistance.” Niall’s voice seemed louder than usual, Chelsea thought, but she chalked it up to the late hour and lack of employees in the building. In fact, their floor was almost empty.

Chelsea pressed the intercom button, leaning over to speak into it. “Yes sir, I’ll be there in just a moment.” Chelsea saved the letter she was working on and stood, smoothing her skirt down as she walked over to his office, pushing the door open. “What can I do for you?”

Niall looked up at her, his eyes rimmed darker than what Chelsea was used to seeing and she knew he was keeping late hours like she was, but she was certain they were keeping them for quite different reasons. “I need you to locate a file for me.” Niall handed over a piece of paper and went back to typing on his computer.   
Chelsea rolled her eyes and walked over to the filing cabinet. Honestly, this was something he could do, what did he need her for? Chelsea scanned the labels on the drawers to find the one she needed was on the bottom. She bent over and pulled the drawer open, the metal squealing as it pulled out. Chelsea rifled through the files, pausing when she heard Niall’s chair squeak. Chelsea dared a quick glance back to see Niall watching her and fuck - her ass was stuck out. Chelsea grabbed the file and straightened quickly, too quickly, seeing as she started teetering but caught herself as she spun, thrusting the folder out to Niall gracelessly. “If that’s all…”

“That’s not all Miss Conway,” Niall rumbled and Chelsea was getting really tired of this last name bullshit. She clenched her hand because she just wanted to go home to Netflix and a glass of red wine, but this guy was in her way. 

“What else can I do for you Mister Horan?” Chelsea made sure to stress the usage of his last name. 

Niall’s eyebrow shot up and a smirk danced across his lips. “You’re rather mouthy for a secretary who called their boss Daddy last week.”

Chelsea could feel herself blushing because okay yeah that happened and she couldn’t stop thinking about it, about how she’d like to do it more often but she was already toeing a very dangerous thin line and she told herself she’d never sleep with a boss again anyway, so what did any of it matter? “Trust me, sir, it won’t happen again.”

“Pity.” 

Chelsea froze from where she had started to leave the room and quickly revolved back to where she was facing him. “Excuse me?”

Niall stood, his voice deeper, slower somehow and he was looking at Chelsea like a wolf would look at a particularly delicious sheep. “You heard me perfectly well, Chelsea. I think it’s time we stop tiptoeing around it, don’t you?”

Chelsea’s heart was hammering away in her chest and it felt as if her tongue had become lodged in her throat because she knew there was no way anything resembling a word would come out.

It was Niall who closed the distance, moving mere inches away from her to the point she could see flecks of brown in his blue eyes and wow there were freckles she’d never noticed and had his eyelashes always been that damn long? 

Niall kissed her, throwing all caution to the wind, his hands grabbing onto her petite waist. He possessively took control of the kiss, prying her mouth open with his lips. His tongue met hers, tangling together as he backed her up to his desk. She nearly fell as the back of her thighs hit wood and she knew with certainty that the files she had just shoved off from behind her were ones that were needed tomorrow. 

Niall unbuttoned her shirt, kissing along her neck, his mouth leaving a hot trail against her skin. He smirked when he hit a spot that made her moan and arch towards him. He nipped at the spot, grazing his teeth over it, pleased as a groan escaped her lips, her fingers digging into his arm. 

Long fingers ran up her thigh as he pushed her skirt up until it was bunched around her waist and he lowered her to a sitting position on the desk. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about this very thing since those words had spilt from her mouth and the hunger that had been growing inside him had finally spilt over to where he wanted nothing more than this moment.

“Daddy, please,” Chelsea whimpered, her seductive eyes locking onto Niall and he couldn’t help but to press against her, letting her feel his erection through the light layer of the lace thong she was wearing. 

“Baby girl, be patient.” He was even more turned on by the low whine that followed his words as she tugged him down by his tie. 

Niall growled, grabbing her hips and he kissed her deeply before pulling away. “Help me with my trousers.”

Chelsea did as she was told, shivering with anticipation and want as she unbuttoned and unzipped his trousers, eager to see what was behind them. She bit down on her lip as he unbuttoned her blouse completely, caressing her breasts through the thin fabric of the bra she was wearing. She could feel the nubs harden as he stroked them, leaning down to mouth at her clavicle. 

Her hands found the buttons of his shirt and she opened it, pushing it back so it hung on his arms. “Daddy,” she almost whispered, her words a breathless tumble, “I need it.”

Niall had never been the type to be told twice and he pushed his trousers and briefs down, pulling her so her arse was resting on the edge of his desk. She looked up at him, her pupils dilated, lips red and he kissed her hard as he pushed the panties aside, slipping a finger into her. 

Chelsea arched up off the desk, grabbing at his shirt as he worked a finger into her. She was already wet from the teasing kisses and she wanted desperately to be filled by the length displayed in front of her. 

A voice in her head was screaming at her, telling her to get the hell out of there, to stop this instantly, but she was too far gone to even imagine anything but Niall on her, in her, fucking her against his desk until she was begging. She felt her legs open more at the thought, an involuntary response to the way Niall was working her with his fingers, rolling her clit in his fingers, his other hand desperately squeezing her arse as they kissed heatedly, panting breaths each time they pulled apart.

Chelsea couldn’t stop the whine that left her throat as he pulled his fingers away, and she prayed to anyone that would listen for this not to be Niall changing his mind. The rustle of his clothing gave her her answer and he moved closer, his hand now preoccupied with making sure he slid in sooner rather than later, the soft gasps escaping from the both as he fully inserted himself in her. 

Chelsea wasn’t one to idly sit by and she yanked him against her, using his shirt as leverage as her mouth attacked his, her hips moving forward as her fingers dug into the skin of his back. Niall groaned as he nails found slight purchase in his skin and he slid a hand into her hair, yanking her head to the side so he could suck the soft, sweet skin of her neck. 

Chelsea arched towards him, her mouth releasing a soft stream of “fucks” as he fucked her, sharp thrusts combined with his hand in her hair, his hand on her ass. She hooked her leg around the back of his thigh, using the position to angel herself until she was biting his shoulder to conceal the groans of pleasure she was emitting with each thrust. She could feel herself coming unglued and wished with everything that she had that she could hold off just a bit longer, not wanting this to end just quite yet. 

Niall dared a glance down, his eyes meeting Chelsea’s and he felt as if his heart had lodged itself somewhere in the vicinity of his tonsils. This was happening, it was no longer a glimmer of a dream in the back of his mind as he idly stroked himself in his bed in the dark of the night. This vision, how her mouth was ajar, her eyes deep and sensual, how she had wanted it, fuck how they had both wanted it. It would be a long time coming before he could look at someone across this desk and not see her there, her skirt around her waist, moaning because of him.

“N-Niall,” Chelsea breathed, jerking Niall back to the reality of her firm body against his. “I-please.”

Niall nodded, capturing her mouth in a kiss that felt as if he were plunging into molten lava. He slipped his hand between them, rubbing his fingers against the small nub that would send Chelsea careening over the edge of pleasure. 

Chelsea looked up at Niall, unable to tear her eyes away as her orgasm grew to a crescendo, her hands gripping his arms, her body arching off the desk as she moaned his name, tightening around him.

Niall wasn’t sure whether it was the sound of his name leaving her lips like that, or the added pressure as he thrusted, but it was mere moments later that he was emptying himself inside her, panting as he felt his legs try to give out beneath him. 

Chelsea lay against the desk, her hair in her face, chest heaving as she tried to sort out her thoughts, a hard task when she was dizzy from the blood rush. She felt Niall pull out and heard the tell-tale creak of his chair as he deposited himself into it. She dared a glance over, seeing him red-faced and breathing hard, his shirt at his elbows, trousers pooled around his ankles. She sat slowly, shifting as she felt some of his semen leaking out of her and she was glad she took her birth control every day. Niall looked at her, a soft smile on his face, his eyes looking her over. 

Chelsea had no words. Even if she had regained her ability to string words into sentences, what the fuck would she even say? She and her boss had just had an illicit tryst in his office, other employees still possibly in the building. Chelsea’s normal restrain had been broken by this blue-eyed Irishman and she felt vulnerable sitting there, his eyes on her.

Niall cleared his throat. “For the record, I don’t regret it.”

Chelsea couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her because of all the damn things to say, that’s what Niall came up with? “Neither do I.” Chelsea paused, looking at her hands.   
“This is going to change things, isn’t it?”

Niall nodded, and Chelsea wasn’t completely sure, but she thought she saw a flicker of sadness cross his features. “Well yes, but also no. We are “fake dating” but now we know that there’s this,” he swept his hand through the air between them. “For reasons I cannot explain right now, the board would not like it at all if this turned into something real, something tangible. It’s just fucking complicated.”

Chelsea knew his ire wasn’t directed at her, but she still felt slighted by his words. Did the Board think so lowly of her? Why allow her to be the one in the charade at all then? Was she worth nothing more than as a pawn for them? “I get it,” she replied, even though she didn’t get it at all. “We’ll just keep going like this didn’t happen.”

Niall grinned mischievously. “And if it happens again, we won’t say no?”

Chelsea smirked, raising an eyebrow. “Deal.” She slid off the desk, putting her skirt back into the correct position before working on her shirt buttons. 

Niall stood, redressing. “Perhaps next time we could use a bed. Though,” he added quickly, “that’s not to say this wasn’t fucking hot. But yeah, bed, someplace an employee can’t knock on the door and we don’t have to be silent.”

So that’s how it was. He wasn’t going to hide the fact that he didn’t plan on stopping this fling, and Chelsea wasn’t going to argue. “Your place or mine?”

Niall grinned, kissing her cheek as he ran a hand through his hair. “Mine. We’ll go for dinner first. Friday night since you have that girl’s night with Miss Bradford.” 

“Pick me up at six.” 

“Wear something green.”

Chelsea didn’t question it, but merely nodded her answer, her hand resting on the doorknob. “Maybe we can give the paps a show. I’ll figure out something without having your face plastered everywhere. I’m resourceful.”

“There’s no need to reiterate a fact I know very, very well.”

Chelsea opened the door, stepping out into the hallway. “Have a good evening Niall, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

And with that, Chelsea left Niall smirking at her back in his office as he rolled the sleeves up on his shirt, wondering how long it would take Chelsea to notice the large mark his mouth had left on her neck.


End file.
